> On Thu, Sep 05, 2002 at 07:48:38AM -0500, Dirk Eddelbuettel wrote: > > > > > > > You should depend on exactly the Python versions you support, not on > > > "python". For example > > > Depends: python1.5 | python2.1 | python2.2 > > > > I see. But why not simply "Depends: python (>= 1.5)" > > I think this is wrong. If this is a package with python scripts, then they > will probably have '#!/usr/bin/python', in which case the dependancy should > be; > > Depends: python (>=1.5), python (<<2.3) > > You could make a package of scripts that could work with "python1.5 | > python2.1 | python2.2", but it would either require seperate foo-python1.5, > foo-python2.1, and foo-python2.2 scripts, or some sort of smart dispatcher > that could find and run the right installed /usr/bin/pythonX.Y. > > Remember, /usr/bin/python is a symlink installed by the "python" package, > and without a dependancy on this package there is no gaurentee that it will > be there. You can't just use "#!/usr/bin/python" without depending on the > "python" package.
Aren't we now fully circular? At first I suggested "Depends: python", and now you recommend the same to me. I guess I need more coffee... And what about the #!/usr/bin/env trick? Can't that be used to call whatever suitable python interpreter is found in the $PATH? > > > > > And if you dont compile any Python packages, why do you still have to > > > build-depend on python-dev? > > > > Quite right, good point -- thanks. > > I _think_ you are saying that this package used to include compiled > "*.py[oc]" files and now it doesn't. That is good. Correct. > However, if it still includes *.py modules that are "imported", then you > still need to be very careful. Python will create and save "*.pyc" files > when these modules are imported. However, typicaly only root has write > access to the directories where these *.py files are installed. This means > these *.pyc files are only created when root runs the scripts that import > them. > > Worse, if the default python is upgraded, then the old *.pyc files cannot by > "updated" by python, and hang around until root happens to "import" them > again. > > I'm pretty sure python silently doesn't save *.pyc files if it can't, making > them be re-compiled every "import". It also re-compiles them if the *.pyc's > are from a different version of python. This means worst case, python > silently checks existing *.pyc's, recompiles them, then throws them away for > every run. It is somewhat of a non-issue "by design" as wajig is written to be a higher-level wrapper around tasks requiring root. But wajig is only ever called as a normal user, and if and when su powers are needed, sudo is invoked /from inside the python script/ so that no python code should ever run as root. > The proper way of handling this is for the postinst scripts to compile the > *.pyc modules, and the postinst script to remove them. The really complicated > stuff starts to happen when these script+module packages support multiple > versions of python... If you need more info on this just ask. I sort-of-know as I once went that route, but it turned out to create only headaches. A simple "Depends: python" still looks terribly appealing to me. Dirk (who quite likes the kiss principle) -- According to the latest figures, 43% of all signatures are totally worthless.
